Chapter Twelve: The Day Everything Changed

A Chapter by Rachel_Biggs

Jack stormed through the house that day, stopping only to drop his jacket on the floor. He picked up a knife from the table, slipped it into his pocket and stalked into the living room where John, Emma and I were. He told John that they needed to have a chat about finances. They slipped outside before Emma and I knew what happened.

Emma turned towards me and told me to sit there and wait. She arose from her chair and disappeared into her bedroom. She returned minutes later with a handful of cash and told me to go pack a bag for me and one for John. Emma called me Jane, and I obeyed, wondering about this strange development.

She followed me and stood in the hallway between the two rooms. I packed small bags for both of us. For some reason, I included the stuffed cow in mine. Emma pressed the cash into my hand and told me to hide it somewhere that Jack wouldn’t find it. I stuck it inside my sock, hoping he wouldn’t search there. I sensed Emma was going to help us, for whatever reason.

She slipped back into her room and returned with a black case. Laying it on my bed she unlatched it and revealed a small pistol. She loaded it and handed it to me. Emma told me to go and save my love. She said she would go and start the truck, and be ready to take us into town.

I took the gun and weighed it in my palm. I asked her why she was doing this. She told me that even if it meant losing a husband, she couldn’t stand to kill another daughter.

I walked slowly towards the door, heartbeat pounding in my ears all the way. I stepped onto the porch, and there in the darkness illuminated only by the porch light, I fired a warning shot. A male scream echoed in the valley, filling my ears with the sound of human terror. My eyes adjusted to the dark and I could finally pick out the silhouettes of Jack and John. John stumbled into the light and I could see blood running down his shirt from a vicious looking wound on his arm. He reached the porch and collapsed into my arms. My arms encircled him and my hands landed in something sticky on his back.

Jack barreled towards us, stopping short when he saw the gun in my now trembling hand. He held his hands up in surrender, the coward. I felt rage boil over and I released my hold on the love of my life.

I fired two shots that night. One missed. The other found the intended mark.

I looped John’s arm over my shoulders and half carried him to the truck. Emma had kept her promise and was waiting there for us. She gunned the engine and peeled out of the driveway. We sped along the dark gravel roads for what seemed like several hours. The stars provided the only light besides our headlights.

Finally, faintly in the distance tiny dots of light appeared on the distant horizon. I heard a sniffle and turned to look at Emma. In the darkness, tears were streaming silently down her face. I held out my hand to her and she grasped it tightly. I apologized silently for misjudging her and hoped that she understood.

The lights grew brighter and finally we were at the edge of a town. Emma pulled off to the side of the road. She handed me wads of money and I stashed it in my sock again. She leaned over and hugged me tightly, almost uncomfortably so, for several long minutes. Emma released me and went to open the passenger side door, I slipped out the driver’s side and helped her with John. We leaned him against the side of the truck. I felt a surge of affection and reached over, and clasped her against me.I told her that she could always come with us. She shook her head against my shoulder. I felt her tears seep into the arm of my frilly homemade dress. She pulled back and swiped at her tears with the back of her hand. Emma handed me the suitcases and told me goodbye.

John and I started walking along the still dark road.

A lone gunshot rang out from behind us.

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